Pest Advice Blog

Preventing Bed Bugs from Infesting your University Dorm

Students are notorious for being messy and some student accommodations can become a terrifying pit of dirty plates and empty takeaway containers. Unfortunately, unhygienic conditions also attract other unwanted inhabitants, like mice, rats, cockroaches and bed bugs. When those critters follow you into the classroom, the infestation escalates to an overwhelming size.

Ontario is particularly popular amongst bed bugs, with Toronto being the nation’s top bed bug metropolis – a dubious accolade. For young people like students who often share houses and dormitories, bed bugs are a nuisance. To assist with prevention, we’ve compiled a few useful tips on bed bug pest control and how to keep the pesky critters out of your dorm room.

Banishing the Bed Bug

When you return to university after a break or vacation, examine your luggage carefully using a flashlight. This will enable you to spot even the smallest bed bug or indication of their presence.

Before making your dormitory bed, inspect the seams and corners of the mattress, looking for rusty stains, eggs or live bed bugs. Leave your sheets and other bedding in the bag while performing your inspection so they don’t get contaminated should a problem exist.

Yes, it can be tricky, but keeping a tidy room and not leaving clothes or empty food containers on the floor will make it a lot easier to identify an infestation and start a regime of bed bug pest control before the problem gets out of hand.

Look out for any bites or skin irritations which may indicate you’ve been bitten by bed bugs. Although it can be difficult to differentiate a bed bug bite from the sting of another insect, any form of bite should be thoroughly investigated.

If you perceive a problem within your dorm room, call the people responsible for the residence. An efficient housekeeping service will get in touch with a professional bed bug pest control regime, like Truly Nolen.

A professional pest control agency will take the following steps to ensure you have an undisturbed night’s sleep, so you can concentrate on your studies:

Knowing your enemy

The first step in any effective approach to bed bug pest control is to identify the insects. There are four main species of bed bug in Canada and while some prefer other mammals to humans, if they get into your dorm, they’ll happily feast on you and your fellow residents.

Bedding down

A pest control technician will use a special formula to treat all bedding, from the frame up to the mattress. The same treatment is then applied to all the furniture in your room.

Cracking up

The next step is to treat any crevices and cracks where bed bugs might be hiding out or gaining access to the room. This includes those tricky areas around window frames and where the wall joins to the ceiling.

Into the Void

Within most walls, there is a cavity or void where large resident populations of bed bugs can easily hang out. These are dealt with by injecting a material into the walls that will eradicate the pesky critters.

Spray Away

The last step is to treat more delicate items, such as paintings and books. These are placed in a plastic bag and then sprayed with an aerosol to prevent any moisture from ruining the item.

As you can see, bed bug pest control is a time-consuming and complex process. While you can attempt eradication on your own, it won’t leave much time for your studies, so call Truly Nolen instead and give yourself peace of mind.